Vertere Coffea #2 is a 7.5% coffee stout from Vertere, based in Oku-tama, in Tokyo, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both cans and on tap across Japan. Vertere Coffea is brewed using Maris Otter, Carafa 3,Munich T1, Cara Bohemian, Special X, and Oats with the hops being Sorachi Ace and Ariana. Vertere Coffea #2 is then secondary fermented with Ethiopian coffee beans that have been roasted in-house.
Vertere Coffea #2 Aroma and Taste
Vertere Coffea #2 poured out a pitch black colour with a large, frothy off-white head on top that just seemed to grow and grow until I drank it. Perhaps this large amount of head helped the aroma come through though and it was a nice aroma too. A rich, bold coffee one, with lashings of chocolate and some creaminess too. The malts were nicely restrained with a distinct lack of acridity being the obvious one to note. Sometimes when brewers use dark malts, the acrid aroma is one that can often be the boldest due to over extraction; however, there are no worries with that in Vertere Coffea #2. Hopheads will find it hard to get much hop aroma off Vertere Coffea #2 – even with the addition of Sorachi Ace, a hop that produces an oniony aroma when used too much – there wasn’t much hop aroma coming off the beer.
The body was thick – with an appropriate amount of “c” and “k” as to you may see fit – with the roasted coffee and creamy flavours blending nicely together. The body to Vertere Coffea #2 was also really smooth – like sipping on a nicely chilled bold espresso with a hint of crema on top. There was no black malt bitterness either to the beer and when Vertere Coffea #2 had warmed up, it brought everything nicely together. There was a subtle nuttiness to the beer in the aftertaste, along with a chocolate flavour too coming along.
Vertere Coffea #2 The Bottom Line
Vertere Coffea #2 is a well made coffee stout that I would happily drink again and again.
Where to Buy Vertere Coffea #2
Vertere Coffea #2 can be bought online at the following places: